yeah positive pharmaceutical news.

[wanting-wings]

Diabetes drug may cut heart attacks
Treatment makes body's cells more sensitive to insulin, study finds

Reuters
Updated: 10:28 a.m. ET Sept. 12, 2005


LONDON - Giving diabetes patients Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s drug Actos not only lowers their blood sugar levels but also protects them from heart attacks, researchers said on Monday.

A 5,200-patient clinical study found that Actos, when added to standard therapy, reduced the combined risk of heart attacks, strokes and death by 16 percent in high-risk people with type II diabetes, compared to conventional therapy alone.

Actos, which is co-promoted by Eli Lilly and Co., belongs to a class of medicines called insulin sensitisers that also includes GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Avandia.

They work by making the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin, thereby helping people with type II, or adult-onset, diabetes to better use their own natural insulin.

The results of the trial on Actos, which is known by the chemical name pioglitazone, were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes congress in Athens.

Professor John Dormandy of St. George’s Hospital, London, the chairman of the trial, said the results suggested that 10 to 11 heart attacks, strokes or deaths could be prevented for every 500 high-risk patients treated with Actos over three years.

Industry analysts said the success of the clinical study would help Actos increase its market share and might also have a positive knock-on impact on Avandia, if doctors decide the benefits are due to a drug class effect.

The finding is a welcome boost at a time when competition is set to increase, after a U.S. advisory panel on Friday recommended approval of a new diabetes pill, Pargluva, from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Merck & Co. Inc.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9312353/

[some bloke]

Wingster...spear-heading 'the positive news initiative' !!

Nice.

:mrgreen:

[serena_114]

Angel I'm curious, how would this affect children that are being affected by Type II diabetes. Since the number of obese children has skyrocketed, so has the number of children being diagnosed with diabetes. Are they making the distinction between Type I and Type II more about insulin dependency or are they leaving it the generalized adult onset vs. childhood onset????

[wanting-wings]

Clinical trial cannot be done on Children without major loopholes jumped through. Almost all of the pharmaceutical medicaitons do not have childhood usage approval. Pharmaceutical companies do not want to take on the risks involved in testing medications in children.
Especially concerning, is giving children medication that if not taken properly can cause serious adverse events. Say if the child took a dose and then did not eat afterward and experienced low blood sugar....potentially that child could go into a coma.

and to answer your question further. the new guidelines distinguish type I and II based on the absence of insulin in the body. (the pancrease's ability to produce the insulin.) Rarely is the term adult onset used....

I am not sure if I fully answered your question...let me know if not.

[serena_114]

Actually - my main question was the one about how they classify Type I and Type II diabetes - as some one who has seen first hand the effects diabetes can have on a persons life it something I pay close attention to. Any progress in the field is wonderful - but I wish there could be more done to help Type I patients.

[wanting-wings]

Unfortunately, besides insulin, diet, glycemic control, and exercise there is not anything else. I am sure that it is frustrating.....especially when you are trying to convince children that taking care of themselves at such an early age will improve their life expectancy immensely.

sorry that I am not of any more help to you. I agree that more studies should be centered around more options for Type I. However, since is affects only 10% of the diabetic population, it is not. I have heard that they are working on an inhalable form of insulin. If that comes to the market, and is affordable, that would be excellent for children.....not having to inject the insulin should really increase compliance and glycemic control.

[serena_114]

Actually you did help - I'm not diabetic, but my mom was and much of the new medical findings came much to late. But I still donate about $50 a year (more if I can) to the American Diabetes Association in the hopes that others will not have to go through what she did.